Public housing residents say their complaints about prostitution are being ignored

SEATTLE — Residents at the Seattle Housing Authority property, Tri Court Apartments in North Seattle, say they've been complaining for months about prostitutes using their complex as a place of business.

"They'd come and go all the time. The prostitutes would come and go all the time," said resident Corey Preston.

Resident Council President Robert Wright said he's raised a red flag over the issue to the property manager and police.

"We invited Seattle Housing Authority and Seattle police to come to one of our meetings recently and unfortunately, they both cancelled out," said Wright.

Seattle Housing Authority spokesperson Michelle Ackermann said that these complaints are taken very seriously.

She said the problem is that property managers haven't seen any proof of prostitution on the property and that there are conflicting reports from residents.

Residents we spoke to said they are sure the activity is coming from one resident's unit.

One woman who did not want to be identified said that he sublets his unit for the sex workers.

"There's actually guys in our building that will let them on our property and there's over 10 prostitutes all the time over here," she said.

We knocked on the window of the man residents complained about, and he said that he denied any involvement in the activity.

Ackermann said that property managers and a community police officer will step up patrols because of the complaints.

Wright said residents have called 911.

"The police sometimes don't come quickly certainly not enough to catch those perpetrators conducting these activities," said Wright.

A surveillance camera will also be installed near a dumpster where residents said there used to be a mattress that was used by sex workers.

KIRO